Bruce Report

Basketball...all league games now

With five consecutive wins (league and non-league) Wenatchee is hottest team in the league. They take that streak and head for Yakima Friday to face Davis. The Pirates started 6-1 and then dropped two league contests in a row. Wenatchee took two of three from DHS last season and has won three of the last four. Overall Davis leads the series in wins 86 to 49.

Saturday, Moses Lake (2-2, 5-3) away.

The Chiefs topped the Panthers 57-51 on December 13th and the Purple and Gold has won ever since…five straight. Based on recent history in the series with MLHS its Wenatchee’s “turn to win.” Since 2010-11 they’ve traded wins over the past six games. In the history of the series the Panthers lead 80 to 55 in victories.

In two games following Christmas Dillon Sugg scored 40 points and climbed from sixth to fourth on the WHS career scoring list. The senior now has 1,076 points and passed Cass Gebbers 1,042 (1981-83) and Larry Richardson 1,072 (1949-51).

Wenatchee is 47th this week in the ScoreCzar computer ranking. There are 67 4A teams.

All CBBN members have played all their non-league games with the exception of Sunnyside and Moses Lake who each have one to go. Their records vs. non-league opponents: Eastmont 5-0, Davis 4-1, Moses Lake 3-1, Wenatchee 3-2, Sunnyside 0-4 and Eisenhower 0-4.

GIRLS BASKETBALL (2-2, 4-5)

Friday, Davis (4-0, 5-3) away.

Wenatchee takes their four-game win streak and faces first-place Davis Friday. The Pirates have feasted on league opponents so far, winning all four games, but have had trouble outside the league with only one win in five tries. WHS and DHS have met 75 times with the former holding a 49-26 lead in victories. Although in three meetings last season the Pirates won them all.

Saturday, Moses Lake (2-2, 6-3) away.

The game with the Chiefs begins the second of three cycles through the league schedule. When the two squads met here last month the visitors won 54-43, and have a five-game win streak over the Panthers. Both teams begin the week tied for third with 2-2 records. Overall Wenatchee holds the series lead at 48-31, and is 19-18 at Moses Lake.

All CBBN members have played all their non-league games with the exception of Sunnyside who has one remaining. Their records vs. non-league foes: Sunnyside 4-0, Moses Lake 4-1, Wenatchee 2-3, Davis 1-4, Eisenhower 0-4 and Eastmont 0-5.

WRESTLING (1-0, 5-6)

Thursday, Eastmont (0-1, ?-?) home.

I’m still working on wrestling, but from records I’ve found so far dating back to the season of 1958-59, this is the 90th match between Wenatchee and Eastmont. The Panthers have the lead in wins 65 to 22 and there have been two ties. WHS has won three of the last four, while EHS has won eight of the last 11.

The Panthers and Wildcats go at it for the second time this season. A month ago Wenatchee posted their highest score of the season with a 2,190 to 1,957 win over Eastmont. This is the first year of the EHS program. A Panther victory today and they win their fourth consecutive league championship.

The Panthers will join a field of around 32 teams at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way for this 19th annual event put on by Kentridge High School. The facility is same pool that is used for the high school state championship meet.

West Valley of Yakima will most likely join the Columbia Basin Big Nine Conference in the fall according to WHS athletic director BJ Kuntz. This will give the league seven members. The Rams were members of the CBBN for six years from 2006-07 to 2911-12. The past two years they’ve been in the 2A Central Washington Athletic Conference. A final decision should come today at the league athletic directors’ meeting. WVHS has been a 2A school and their latest enrollment figures will make them a 3A next fall. The word is they may opt up to 4A.

With seven schools some of the schedules would probably adjust….like football going back to playing each league foe once per season, and in basketball, baseball and softball facing each school twice instead of three times.